29.12.2017 14:21 h

Allardyce targets striker in transfer window

Everton manager Sam Allardyce says he is in the market for a striker in the January transfer window.

The Merseyside outfit sold Romelu Lukaku over the summer and have struggled recently to score this season with their last two games ending 0-0.

Reports this week suggested the club is interested in Besiktas striker Cenk Tosun.

And when asked on Friday about being linked with the 26-year-old Turkey international, Allardyce said: "Him and many others, because we need a frontman if we can find one.

"We would be actively looking for a frontman in this window because I need more goals in the side than we have at the moment if we are to just maintain our position.

"As we can all see, we've started to struggle to create chances and score goals in recent matches, so it's still one of the major problems we have at the club.

"We've got more penalties than anybody else in the Premier League, which has contributed to a few points. That won't always happen.

"So we need to strengthen in our goalscoring areas, and that's, for me, new players.

"Players already here, like Sandro (Ramirez), haven't picked up the pace of the Premier League - he hasn't been able to show what he showed in Spain.

"I think Oumar (Niasse), while he has scored, hasn't made a regular place in the Everton side.

"And young (Dominic) Calvert-Lewin is battling away. I think he's got a bright future, but I don't think we can rely on him week in and week out at the moment."

Sandro has not scored a league goal since joining from Malaga in July, while Niasse and Calvert-Lewin have netted five and three respectively this season.

Ninth-placed Everton's current top scorer is Wayne Rooney, who has netted 10 times in the league.

The 32-year-old missed the goalless draws against Chelsea last Saturday and at West Brom on Boxing Day due to illness but has recovered in time for Saturday's trip to Bournemouth, which Everton go into having played six league games so far under Allardyce and not lost one of them.